New Testament · Gospel

Matthew 18:27

The Greatest and the Lost

His master had compassion on him, forgave his debt, and released him. Matthew 18:27 · Berean Standard Bible
What It Means

Matthew 18:27, in plain English

The master's heart breaks for him. He doesn't just give him more time — he wipes the entire debt away and sets him free.

Why it's here

The servant asked for patience. The master gave him something infinitely better: total forgiveness.

Who's speaking

The master in the story responds with a generosity that mirrors God's own heart.

Where it sits in the story

This is the turning point. The servant walked in owing everything and walked out owing nothing. That's what grace looks like.

A Closer Look

The scholarly reading

The master is moved by splanchnistheis (visceral compassion), forgives the entire debt (aphēken to daneion), and releases him — an act of extraordinary, unmerited grace.

Language and setting

The Greek splanchnistheis denotes deep gut-level compassion, the same term used of Jesus in the Gospels, pointing to divine mercy.

Voice

The narrator describes the master's response — complete forgiveness beyond anything the servant asked for.

Significance

The servant begged for time; the master gave him freedom. The debt is not deferred but erased entirely — a picture of divine forgiveness.

In context

Matthew 18:25–29

25Since the man was unable to pay, the master ordered that he be sold to pay his debt, along with his wife and children and everything he owned.

26Then the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Have patience with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’

27His master had compassion on him, forgave his debt, and released him.

28But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him and began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay back what you owe me!’

29So his fellow servant fell down and begged him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you back.’

Read all of Matthew 18 — Who is the greatest? A child. What matters most? The one who wandered off. Forgiveness isn't optional — it's the air the kingdom breathes.

Understand every verse, not just this one

This page covers one. BibleKey does all 31,102 — tap any verse for its meaning, any word for its Hebrew or Greek root, and keep reading without leaving the chapter.

Get BibleKey

Understand every verse.

Not just the famous ones. BibleKey is free on iPhone and iPad.

Download on the App Store

Free on iPhone & iPad